It's that time of the year. The gym memberships are signed, the junk food is thrown away, and a chorus of "new year, new me" rings out across the nation. It's great to create goals and resolutions, but how many times have you vowed to make a major change only to feel disappointed a week later when something prevents you from keeping that goal?

Things come up. An unexpected bad day leads to a slice of pizza. A blizzard threatens your daily workout. Sometimes when you put too much pressure on a major life change or resolution, it can backfire in a big way. At InStyle, we are all for making major changes, but sometimes it's the gradual ones that make the biggest impact. Instead of vowing to "never eat out," we are going to try to cook a new meal each week. Avoid promising an hour of yoga every day, and instead start with just five minutes of meditation.

1.
Unplug

"Here’s my deal: I’m too attached to my phone. Yes, I have to be on top of my InStyle emails in case there’s breaking baby news and I have to send out a hurried newsletter to our awesome readers, but that is a rarity and I’ve found myself double-screening more than I should be (Netflix and eBay are my vice). My resolution is to lay off my phone after 9:30pm every night—excluding award show nights! Don’t worry, guys: You’ll get your real-time red carpet newsletters still.

To help me settle into my no-late-night-phone routine, I bought the cutest little embroidery kit of a barn owl to keep my hands from reaching for my iPhone. I figure that a new hobby and an adorable owl doll beats a high Two Dots score any night!" -Katie Donbavand, associate producer

Illustration by Ingrid Frahm

2.
Use Snail-Mail

3.
Keep a Gratitude Journal

"This year, aside from living well, I want to start keeping a gratitude diary. Each day, you write down three things you’re grateful for to start the day. Should fill up fast!" -Anna Hecht, project manager

Illustration by Ingrid Frahm

4.
Start the Day Right

"My goal for the New Year is to get out of bed earlier and stop hitting the snooze button!" -Lauren Kane, site producer

Illustration by Ingrid Frahm

5.
Write More

"I will write at least 4k words outside of work every week, whether that be fiction, poetry, or personal reflection. Whatever it may be, I just want to keep my weekly word count up! If 2016 was Kylie Jenner's Year of Realizing Things, let 2017 be my Year of Writing Things." -Kim Duong, digital fashion assistant

Illustration by Ingrid Frahm

6.
Walk the dog

"My resolution is to try and go for a 20 minute walk every morning with my dog (with the exception of NYC blizzards and rainstorms). Not only will it get both of us out of bed and into the fresh air for a few minutes, but it’ll also be great for my step count since I’ve been obsessing over my new Fitbit Alta and beating the daily step goals. However, I can’t promise I’ll look cute at 6 a.m.—sorry in advance for the PJs, neighbors!" -Rachel Crocetti, digital producer

Illustration by Ingrid Frahm

7.
Create

"My resolution is to create something once a week by either drawing or doing watercolor!" -Sarah Balch, photo editor

Illustration by Ingrid Frahm

8.
Eye Contact

"My New Year's resolution is to smile and look strangers in the eye more often! New Yorkers are notoriously rude, right? I beg to differ, which is why my resolution is to smile at strangers on the subway more often. As cliche as it may sound, one smile could change a person's day, and in a city packed with millions of commuters looking down at their phones, turning up the volume on their headphones, and doing everything possible not to be noticed, I'd like to start paying more attention to those around me. Maybe I'll make a new friend! -Jonathan Borge, assistant editor

Illustration by Ingrid Frahm

9.
Meditate

"I really want to try and meditate every day—it feels like it’s a big goal but I’m starting small with only five minutes a day." -Selene Milano, senior beauty editor

Illustration by Ingrid Frahm

10.
Cook

"My NYE resolution this year is to try to cook dinner at home at least three nights out of every work week. Living in NYC has made it far too easy to grab takeout for dinner—and lunch—and I’m hoping that by doing some more cooking, I’ll save cash and calories. To help me out, I’m asking for a subscription for a meal-kit delivery service for Christmas in the hopes that it will give me that much-needed boost." -Olivia Bahou, digital news assistant